Berstling’s YSU streak is fan-tastic

October 7, 2014 at 12:05a.m.

Hubbard resident has missed just one game since the 1991 national semifinals

YOUNGSTOWN

On Dec. 21, 1991, a week after Elmer Berstling began one of the more remarkable streaks you’ll ever read about, the Hubbard resident jumped the railing at Paulson Stadium in Statesboro, Ga., and ran onto the field to celebrate Youngstown State’s first I-AA national championship.

“One of my friends was actually crying down there [on the field],” Berstling said. “When I got home, I told my wife, ‘Next year, let’s do all the games.’ So she agreed to that.”

Rosemary Berstling had no idea what she was in for.

Starting with the Penguins’ 10-0 win over Samford in the 1991 national semifinals through last Saturday’s 14-7 win at Missouri State, Berstling has attended 275 of YSU’s last 276 football games.

“The only game I missed was the first North Dakota State [road] game [in 2009] when my mother-in-law died,” he said. “That’s it.”

He grinned and added, “I’m a nut.”

A former vice president at Home Savings, Berstling, 71, started following YSU basketball in 1964 and added football in 1976, scheduling his vacation time around YSU games. He often travels to road games on his own — Rosemary goes on the car trips, but she flies only when they’re going on cruises — and the two sit in the stands for home games.

“I’ve been in a loge like twice,” he said. “It’s not for me. Everybody’s drinking and talking and nobody’s paying attention to the game. It’s not the same as being down in the atmosphere.”

His devotion sometimes gets tested, like last season’s finale when South Dakota State blew out YSU in conditions not even a real Penguin could love. It was probably his worst memory of the 23-year streak, but if you ask him if he left early, he’ll look insulted.

“We never leave until the team’s off the field,” he said.

Berstling’s favorite player over the last few years is quarterback Kurt Hess, but he said his all-time favorite might be running back Tamron Smith, who holds YSU’s career rushing record and helped lead the Penguins to titles in 1991 and 1993. He thinks the 1991 team, which had to win its last four regular season games just to make the playoffs, was YSU’s best.

As for how long the streak will continue, he’s not sure.

“Long as I’m able,” he said. “My wife tells me this has to stop sooner or later. Later’s better than sooner.”